FMQ Dream Feathers

I've been practicing a feather technique I'm learning from a book called "Dream Feathers" by Peggy Holt. After spending some time going through the book and practicing drawing them, this is my first attempt at Dream Feathers. This piece is about 11" x 17" and quilted on my domestic machine using Magifico poly thread by Superior Threads. (I'm really starting to feel like I need to get some actual muslin to practice on...I'm not wild about the green an even less impressed with how it photographs.)

It looks great. Why not try some of your paintstik coloring to spike it up if you don't care for the green.

What do you feel you learned most from the book?

Thanks Linda! I already tried blending some green paintstik color on the feathers to highlight them a bit, but the photo doesn't really show it well at all.
As for what I'm learning so far...as well as showing techniques for stitching the feathers, the book really shows how to use curvy feathers in the boarder and build them a section at a time without stitching a spine first. This technique helps me to build a more symetrical design, I think. Until now, I've always stitched a spine first, then went all the way up one side with the lobes, and then the other side. This technique involves stitching several lobes in one direction until the curve of the lobe crosses the centerline, then going back and stitching lobes on the other side, following the curve of the existing lobes. You kind of leap-frog adding lobes alternately to one side then the other as you move along the length of the feather. Also, this is the first time I've stitched feathers in the more "traditional" manner, retracing the top of the lobe to move to the next instead of going back to the spine each time to start a new lobe.

Thanks Wendy. That helps. On the paintstiks, I was thinking that perhaps highlighting with gold or silver. Although I don't know if that would show up. Your work already does look really great. Thanks for posting it.

Linda
Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost but now am found, was blind, but now I see. [John Newton (1725-1807)]